Paul_Caruso

This is pointless for so many reasons! 1. As soon as someone posted a preference to A or B anyone that listens after that has to deal with preconceived ideas and psychoacoustics. If you think one should sound better it will sound better, since it's only your opinion anyway. 2. The clip starts from the same place and you can't skip forward, I want to compare the percussion in the latter half directly to compare the high end content but by the time it gets to the percussion I've forgotten what the last clip sounded like. A mans singing voice is pretty middly so both clips should sound pretty similar at that point anyway... 3. The fact that you have to listen to each one more than once to tell anything means - is it really worth using double the space? But yes, it's modestly interesting to see if you can tell the difference but I haven't got my good speakers or headphones so they sound pretty similar to me (obviously.) I'm inclinded to say B sounds better but, I want to compare the different sections side by side not all of one then all of another. EDIT I was wrong!

Thanks man, that means a lot! We just try and make a magazine that people want to read which is why we cut the corporate bullshit - there are no press releases, our reviews are real opinions and we don't do articles unless there's substance there. We don't jump on the 'everyone's covering this' bandwagon, there are no articles on trade shows we've been to etc. Keep reading and we'll keep sending it! Hopefully your words will encourage a few more subscriptions...

Yeah that's a disclaimer on our website but in Europe it's my decision to sell your details and I have no intention of doing it for the foreseeable future. Worst case scenario is that one day someone like Turnkey will send you a single catalogue... I wouldn't worry about it this year though!

Glad you're liking it so far although you missed our reprinted DJ Shadow article last issue from the Endtroducing era! Hopefully we'll be featuring more hip hop in the future - I'm trying to hook up a Madlib interview hopefully this year...

They are in the background on the Deep Crates 2 DVD extras - it's on youtube, search for pete rock basement or something.

If you're spending £100 or less on active monitors, you're not really worse off buying a big pair of computer speakers for ~£20 from somewhere like Maplin. They're all the same really... In fact, you probably have to get over £300 to not bother getting computer speakers.

You seem to have not learnt the two simple turntable rules: Numark falls apart. Technics don't. The stantons will (probably) eventually fall apart just like the Numarks...

The BEST 2 channel audio interface I've seen is the new Apogee Duet at £329. Two mic amps, stereo line in and out, headphone jack. That's it, it's simple but it's got the best a/d/a converters you'll find and it's made in America which is more reassuing than the far east somewhere! It's not the cheapest but it -should- sound the best. If you're looking for something to tide you over while you decide or whatever search ebay for "usb audio" and buy one of the £3 dongle things. I got one when i destroyed the mic input on my laptop and it's certainly no worse than what's onboard. This one finishes in an hour, is super cheap and is located in england (mine came from hong kong in under a week) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-USB-2-0-5-1-Chan...1QQcmdZViewItem

Snoop Dogg - Sexual Eruption

I don't get what you mean? I was just saying if you have a handytrax and a mixer you could cut down a normal battle record in this way to scratch if you don't have Serato...

You could obviously do this to regular scratch wax for analogue cutting with a handytrax!

"Living In America" absolutely nails the intro to My Sharona by The Knack.

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious: Recording/Programming - creating the bits that make up your song. Mixing - balancing the individual elements within the song. Mastering - taking a look at the mixed track as a whole and making it sound as good as it could at that point. If you imagine you're making a chair - recording/programming is like when you make the legs, the back rest bit and the seat. You just make each part as best you can, you have an idea of how they're going to all fit together but you're not worried about glue and nails at this stage. Mixing - glue/nail that shit together - it now looks like a chair. Mastering - paint it, varnish it, polish it, sand it smooth. Yes you could sit on it before but now it looks as good as possible and it's nice and smooth on your arse! Sorry if that sounds condescending but people seem to get confused as to what each stage is and when it starts or ends. advice: You can mix a record yourself. You can master a record yourself. You don't need fancy equipment to mix or master. You can get good results. The main factor is time. If you're inexperienced, it will take you longer to translate what you're hearing in your head to what's coming out of the speakers. If you have whack gear, it's going to be more difficult to tell if what's coming out of your speakers is the same as what's going to come out of other speakers elsewhere. All speakers sound different, that's a fact, but there are techniques and ways you can listen to what you're hearing to ensure that your track will sound good elsewhere. You can mix with shit speakers but you have to know their deficiencies. You do a mix, burn a cd, take it to your car - how does it differ from what you were hearing before (make notes if necessary) play it on your home stereo, play it on your ipod, listen on headphones - notice the differences between all these systems. It's then a balancing act to try and take this into account so it's as good as it can be everywhere. I would say mix it yourself on whatever you have (spend money on new, fancy gear if you've got the cash and you want to invest - it will only make it easier!) - once you've got some mixes. Play them to people - are you on the right track? If not - back to the drawing board. I'm sure the label won't put out something that sounds like shit, hopefully they will tell you if it's not quite there yet... It's all time. I'm inclined to say if you're reading this and learning - get someone else to do it. Either sit in with someone who can mix your track or send the files off. If you're interested I wouldn't mind mixing a track (in an SSL studio) for free - if it comes out how you like it it'd be cool to talk about doing the album? If not, no strings... the last thing I mixed got 5/5 in DJ and International DJ mags. Mastering is not my thing but I can make suggestions as to who I would get to do it. I could do it myself on a similar free trial basis but I can't guarantee anything! Oh yeah, generally if you're not present at mixing or mastering you usually get one free change. Meaning, they do a mix or master and send you it, you make suggestions for improvements and they send you back the final version with those improvements. If you pick someone whose work you like, that one change is usually adequate.

There's a guy on eBay that sells new Lacie drives - they usually go for ~£50 for a 250 gig and they are heavy duty drives. Failing getting a Glyph (about 5 times the price) they're one of the best drives you can store your shit on. USB, Firewire 400 & 800.

I describe my DJing style as inobtrusive. I just try and get in and out with the minimum of fuss. I haven't played a 'club banger' for quite a few years, I'm very happy with my bar gig/warm up style - relaxed 90s New York hiphop. I would never cut or juggle at a gig, I just try to get from one song to the next as smoothly as possible.

Why is it whenever I go into a JDs there's just the usual townie shit and no £30 Jordans?!

Haha, I did a similar cut and paste thing for wifey a couple of years ago using hip hop and soul samples! Lord Finesse - Strictly For The Ladies "I’ll take a kiss or a peck with a tight hug" 3582 - I Would Change Are two off the top, I haven't got it on this computer so I can't listen to check.

My 5s feel different every time I wear them. They feel really comfortable 95% of the time but a couple of times they've given me blisters which none of my other kicks do.

Which one? You Birmingham way?

I remember seeing ages ago someone had made some software with a speed control for smartphones and pdas. At the time I had a shit phone so didn't really pay attention to it, now my phone is amazing and has a 3.5mm jack output so I fancy a go. Anyone know what I'm talking about? There was a website to download it from and a youtube video of it in action, the guy was mixing pop house tunes.

This guy is a friend of a friend and does quality work: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...iendid=72972864

Well the argument would be that they are not fit for purpose - you want to juggle with them, but you can't. Their counter argument would probably be - if they play fine normally, that is their purpose. On the other hand, are they of marchantable quality? If you bought a t-shirt and the stitching was off on one side, although you could physically put it on and wear it - would you expect to be able to take it back? I hope so. Best thing to do is either ring/check out http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ and then call the place you bought from.

Send back the warped records, seriously - it's the only way shops will stop selling them! Also, for £120 you could have bought DJDecks software (€15) ESI Soundcard (£80) and two control records, either final scratch, serato, ms pinky etc (£30) If you've got a laptop you'd be all set for digital djing. Check out the software at www.djdecks.be

Heavy! Where from? Not copping myself because I'm not really keen on them despite being an mf doom fanboy.

I hope this isn't considered spam. I publish a US recording magazine, called Tape Op, in Europe. The next issue features a lengthy interview with Bob Power (he engineered all the Tribe Called Quest albums, The Roots, Erykah Badu and more) and for our European edition I chose to reprint an interview with Hank Shocklee (Bomb Squad) that we ran a few years ago in the US edition. These are great interviews and a good read for any beatmaker or hip-hop fan. Ok so can you read these online? NO They are available FREE OF CHARGE in a printed magazine that will be delivered to your door! The only catch is you have to go to our website and sign up for a free one year subscription. That's it, we don't sell your address or send you junk mail you just have to tolerate 5 more great free magazines in the next 12 months. We're an indie magazine and we pay for the mag with advertising - information generated from the subscription questionnaire helps us get more of it. Subscribe here! YOU MUST SUBSCRIBE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO RECEIVE THE MAG! It's getting printed tomorrow and will need mailing in the next couple of days! Enjoy the articles!